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L. Brooks Patterson: Anyone But Trump Would Be 'Dead Meat' After Muslim Immigration Comments

GRAND RAPIDS (WWJ) -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign is set to make a stop in west Michigan Monday night.

Trump is scheduled to appear in Grand Rapids and despite a series of controversial comments -- the latest of which includes his call to ban Muslim immigrants into the United States -- Trump continues to lead in the polls among likely Republican voters.

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson -- a republican -- said that he's surprised Trump's candidacy has lasted this long.

"If anybody but him said it, they'd be dead meat," Patterson said of Trump's proposed ban on Muslim immigration. "But he seems to thrive on that controversy and his numbers go up."

Trump drew more than 2,000 people when he visited Birch Run over the summer. Joel Langlois, owner of the DeltaPlex Arena and Conference Center where the rally will take place, said that Monday's event came together very quickly.

"We were contacted about two weeks ago and then really started working on it about a week ago when we started getting details," Langlois said. "It's a quick turn around for us. Fortunately we had an open date that worked for them in between a couple of basketball games. Normally we have a lot more notice, but this was a quick one."

Langlois said the DeltaPlex -- which is home to Detroit Pistons NBA Development League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive -- holds about 7,500. A full house is expected for Trump's visit Monday.

"I'm expecting we'll go to capacity and send the rest of the people home," Langlois said. "He seems to have a lot of support in this area, there's a really big buzz right now."

Trump has raised just over $11,000 in Michigan during his campaign, good enough for 10th among Republican hopefuls.

Patterson believes that some people see Trump as a breath of fresh air when it comes to the normal stigma of what a politician is supposed to act like.

"I think what he has hit is a very, very responsive nerve on a part of the public who are frustrated with government, frustrated with political correctness -- he ain't politically correct," Patterson said. "But he's making his point and he's getting a lot of points for it."

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